Living to make much of Jesus

Go Back

Go back the way you came…(1 Kings 19:15).

Fear made Elijah flee for his life. Faith in the Lord brought him back the way he came.

Jezebel threatens to kill Elijah and so he flees. He’s exhausted, weary and afraid. The Lord meets with Elijah and speaks to Him in the wilderness. Elijah responds by faith and goes back the way He came.

Some of us need to go back the way we came and do what God has said. Many of us may wonder why our life seems to be lacking purpose and traction. It could be because there was something God spoke long ago that we never responded to with faith. We’re still wandering in the wilderness, stuck there out of fear.

We never made that relationship right. We never confessed our wrongdoing. We never gave that money, served that person or pursued that calling from God.

The beautiful thing about God is that He is immensely patient. He waits for us to side with Him. His grace meets as we are returning back to the place where we should have practiced faith to begin with.

You see, just as much as God was wanting to bless Elijah for returning, there was also someone else awaiting him upon his return- Jezebel. The one whose words sent Elijah fleeing for his life into the wilderness. Despite the fear of encountering her, Elijah trusts God.

I can think of the many times when I knew that I needed to go back and do something to make it right and the what if’s start to flood my heart and mind. Lord, what if I go back and do this and I lose something or something bad happens? What if I try to restore this relationship and it just makes my life worse or I lose what I love?

We must remember that whatever we lose, we gain more through the love of Christ. We can rest assured that God will not leave us nor forsake us. He will not abandon us to the grave.

Today lets face our fears knowing that God is with us. Let’s return back the way we came, knowing that God’s love meets us there, protecting, caring for and providing for us.

Lord, thank you. Thank you that even though I am slow to return and sometimes fear grips me and makes me not want to do it, faith calls me to be a different person and to show a different kind of love. Lord, be the joy of my heart. Show me your glory, I pray, Amen.